CatLadyFemme

Note about the coffee card, is it is per shot. Some a medium fancy coffee drink (sorry! I don’t drink coffee but my partners both do) costs two punches. So if you like bigger coffees (MrCatLady likes large iced Americanos) or multiple shots in a drink (MxCatLady likes 3-4 shots in their morning drink), those will take 3+ punches each.

2 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Good luck finding it that low outside of Black Friday anymore. $23 seems to be the new low price. 

A lot of sailings had it for $20/21 in the past few weeks.

2 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

I remember decades ago, a local woman was arrested for going into the men's restroom at our coliseum during a concert event.  Apparently, the line for the lady's room was too long and she couldn't hold it any more.  The charges were dismissed, but it was big news at the time.  These days, I don't think anyone pays attention to who is in which restroom, much less someone helping a disabled person.  

They sure pay a lot of attention if they read you as trans or nonbinary 😬 many of my friends have been screamed at or otherwise harassed.

4 hours ago, Broons77 said:

Definitely Quantum Class has them - we were on Anthem in March and I documented the location of all of them in a post I did about that particular trip.  I do believe that Oasis class has them as well.

 

Agreed it's nice that these things are now being thought of.  And quite frankly, I'm not going to complain too loudly about it.  After all, we are on a cruise.  If need be, we go back to the cabin.

I appreciated that post so much. I will be on Quantum in a few weeks. A bit older than Anthem, but will keep my eyes open so my partner and I can pee in peace. Your labor is much appreciated!

I should be clear; most of the gendered bathrooms had an accessible room with grab bars and it’s own sink…but they were inside the men’s and women’s multi stall rooms, not in a gender inclusive or family labeled space.

3 hours ago, Broons77 said:

@CatLadyFemme - Do you recall seeing any family bathrooms on your recent trip on Voyager?

I did not see any, and kept my eye open as a nonbinary disabled person. There *could* be some I didn’t see, but no where near any of the usual gendered multi stall options.

Commenting to come back and watch these. We are going on the TA next May!

On 7/17/2022 at 8:58 PM, Heymarco said:

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Unemployment Rates for States and Historical Highs/Lows, Seasonally Adjusted. https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/lauhsthl.htm, November 2020.
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3. Garfin D, Silver R, Holman E. The novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure. Health Psychology. 2020;39(5):355-357.
4. Jamieson K, Albarracin D. The Relation between Media Consumption and Misinformation at the Outset of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in the US The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review. 2020;1.
5. Simonov A, Sacher S, Dubé J, Biswas S. The pursasive effect of Fox News: Non-compliance with social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic (No. w27237).National Bureau of Economic Research;2020.
6. Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, et al. A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2020;87:40-48.
7. Di Milia L, MH S, Costa G, Howarth H, Ohayon M, Philip P. Demographic factors, fatigue, and driving accidents: An examination of the published literature. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2011;43(2):516-532.
8. Lavidor M, Weller A, H B. How sleep is related to fatigue. British journal of health psychology. 2003;8(1):95-105.
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13. Axonify. State of Frontline Employee Training 2020. Waterloo, CA2020.
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17. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Expanded Emergency Declaration Under 49 CFR § 390.23 No. 2020-002 (Relating to COVID-19). 2020; https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/expanded-emergency-declaration-under-49-cfr-ss-39023-no-2020-002-relating-covid-19.
18. The American Transportation Research Institute, The OOIDA Foundation. COVID-19 Impacts on the Trucking Industry. April 2020.
19. Greer TW, Payne SC. Overcoming telework challenges: Outcomes of successful telework strategies. The Psychologist-Manager Journal. 2014;17(2):87-111.
20. Reisenwitz C. How COVID-19 is impacting workers’ calendars. 2020; https://www.getclockwise.com/blog/how-covid-19-is-impacting-workers-calendars. Accessed June 2020.
21. Ashforth B, Kreiner G, Fugate M. All in a day’s work: Boundaries and micro role transitions. Academy of Management review. 2000;25(3):472-491.
22. Alon T, Doepke M, Olmstead-Rumsey J, M T. The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality. (No. w26947). National Bureau of Economic Research;2020.
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Ah, should have been clearer. Appropriate and revenant citations were requested, not just whatever you pulled up in Google scholar. Happy to help you get institutional access if needed.

2 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Statistically, more will return to cruising or be happy to see the requirements go

Citation please?

On 7/16/2022 at 12:21 AM, Heymarco said:

This requirement has to go. So sad to see the cruise lines so far behind.

I mean, lots of folks won’t cruise when they do…

On 7/15/2022 at 11:46 AM, ARandomTraveler said:

Seems like $22.99 is the new lowest non-Black-Friday rate.
 

Pre-pandemic it was common to see $19.99 for the refreshment package as the lowest non-Black-Friday price, but I haven't seen that on my cruises this year,  nor have I seen anyone report that price other than those who can wait for Black Friday. 
 

If I were you I'd buy it at $23, then if the Black Friday sale is better, cancel and rebook. I wouldn't wait to purchase until Black Friday because it seems too possible that the base prices will go up again before then. It may end up that $25 becomes the new lowest price, and $23 is what you'll get for Black Friday. Who knows. 

This. I can’t drink due to medical things, so always get this. Last year, Black Friday had 18. I have gotten it as low as $20, but $23 is pretty solid, especially since you can always refund and repurchase.

On 7/11/2022 at 5:53 PM, CruiseWendy said:

It's very much a personal choice. I'm local to Seattle and am cruising on August 15th. I've been on two previous Alaskan cruises, one went without a hitch, the second we purposely went on because it went to Hubbard Glacier. A severe storm with 20+ ft waves hit and we couldn't make it to Hubbard glacier. It's still an amazing cruise and you can still see the Mendenhall glacier. Cruising the waterway is lovely but it's still worth the cruise without it in my opinion. Then again I live in Seattle and have experienced both. 🙂 Best of luck on your choice!

I will be on there too with my partner MxCatLady!

I am a cane and sometimes walker/rollator user. I need no step and the shower seat in the accessible cabin, despite not using a wheelchair at all. I echo everyone else; they should feel free to book it to meet their needs.

20 hours ago, aka303 said:

I'm on Quantum now and saw a whole gluten free section of the WJ!

Wonderful, thank you!

Following as we are on Quantum in August. Will be sad to miss the train, but at least a day in Juneau wouldn’t be awful.

Have you happened to see if there is a GF section labeled in WJ?

You cannot park scooters in the hall; it is a fire hazard. If you might need one, contact Royal or your TA about an accessible cabin.it would be a super tight fit in most cabins but can likely be done except in the smaller inside rooms.

Ice show is pretty well done; Tarot inspired. The main cast shows, at least when we were onboard in May, were super disappointing.

On 6/23/2022 at 10:54 PM, topnole said:

Regular surgical masks do little if there isn’t a tight seal which is hard to get with those.  Some of the brands of surgical masks do filter about a level of 90 or higher (relative to N95).  There was a cool you tube channel that tested actual filtration on lots of brands.  However, doesn’t matter what the mask is, if it isn’t a tight seal, you are breathing in unfiltered air.  Most people leave or have gaps in their masks.  It makes them much more comfortable to wear.  It also renders the now more comfortable mask mostly ineffective.  Masks can help if they are worn tightly and are of high filtration (ex KN95).  But few if any would wear them for any duration in a way that makes them as effective as they hope them to be.  The main problem with masks is operator error.  It is understandable enough.  It is really hard to wear them in a way that maximizes their effectiveness and way too easy to resort to wearing them in a way that makes them nearly useless.  

Agreed. I am immuno compromised and so wore KN95 on both spring cruises I took (as did both partners), trying to eat mostly outside or at off times to lower risk. We skipped a lot of entertainment and bigger excursions we usually would have done. Still fun, though the masks got super hot in the Caribbean and we def got some looks…but I think it’s the only way we avoided infection. 

We are home safe. 
 

For those who read the first posts, our trip home in Delta One was SO much better. An older plane, but I actually liked how it was organized better (it felt like more room) and the flight crew was like night and day compared to the first one. We felt so special, got offered drinks and food, no problem getting a seat belt extender, so friendly. I specifically  thanked them for making us have such a good flight back to the US. Will also be writing Delta to tell them.

I never ever want to fly through JFK again. Worth a longer layover to fly to London or Amsterdam first and direct to Detroit. Luckily, our wheelchair pusher was a badass, and trotted us through all of the airport. Such a long way; if you are at all disabled, please request a wheelchair or cart. MrCatLady runs multiple times a week, and he was sweating by the time we got to our new gate.

The highlight of our trip home was meeting CC member Stephanie (not sure her handle; tag yourself if you’re reading!) as our FA on our last leg home to Detroit. Pic posted with consent. So cool!

Got home and immediately passed out. Our cats are so happy to see us. Dealing with a migraine today, but Sir Catrick Stewart was glad to take care of me.

Already thinking about our next trip…we are booked on Quantum of the Seas out of Seattle on August 15th with MxCatLady. Hope to see some of you on my life review then! Thanks for joining me 💜

6 hours ago, CruiseMelissa said:

I will definitely keep you posted!  Other than the chia pudding, did you notice any other GF goodies at CPH?

I didn’t see anything really. It’s a lot of coffee shops and and a Wok place, at least before security. 7-11 might have more prepackaged things than I saw.

I was so confused; I just got off Voyager which sailed at under 40% this past week.

Last day! We woke up and headed down to Studio B to wait for our excursion; a 3 hour tour of Copenhagen plus drop off at the airport. We had I think 4 stops; the little mermaid sculpture, the palace, the hip canal area (I got so many interesting kinds of fudge to bring home), and perhaps one more before the airport. More walking than I was ready for, so I sat on a bench and just took in the lovely weather for a bit.

Once at the airport, we grabbed a free luggage cart. The COVID testing area was close to the intersection of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. It was so easy; you lined up and paid (they only take Visa and Mastercard), and then got swabbed. We waited about 15-20 minutes, and got our printed results, so we took a beat and uploaded them to Delta. Then I grabbed a vegan GF chia pudding with raspberry from 7-11, and we crossed the street in the rain to the Clarion hotel.

In the US, Clarion has made me think more Holiday Inn level, but this place was more Hyatt Regency or JW Marriott. So lovely and nice, and literally across the street. Plus their restaurant is a Marcus Samuelsson (well known Swedish chef) and the food was lovely, plus they actually understood gluten free and cross contamination.

All in all, a wonderful last day in Europe 💜

6 hours ago, HankaM said:

What were your observations on the spread of COVID on board?

That’s a great question. We probably have less insight that most people, as we stayed away from most communal things on board (trivia, dancing, parties, etc.), in favor of the outdoor spaces or quiet areas (other than our one night in the empty theater and one night at a half full ice show). 
 

I did notice that a door in the dining room had an added “isolation area” sign on the last two nights that neither of us can remember seeing a previous day. That being said, our cooler sea day yesterday saw PACKED lounges and the Promenade was full of folks (and this is at 40% full), so I cannot imagine there are some cases. Sorry I don’t have more to report (though we our both relieved the masking worked and our test at the airport was negative today).

42 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

So helpful.  I'm so said your cruise is over, it's been so great following along. I appreciate all of the wonderful details and of your gluten-free tips have been fantastic!

 

Is Ravindar the person you mentioned in your earlier post that will be gone before we sail on August 10?

I am sad too…but also ready to be home on my Purple mattress and cuddling with my cats.

And yes; he *may* get a contract extension but doesn’t know, so wanted to make sure you would be set. He is so kind!

Please do tag me and let me know how your cruise goes!

37 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Biker, who wonders if that would work on other ships.

No, this is just his specific code.